Between 1910 and 1920, many iconic buildings were constructed around the New Haven Green. Each of these buildings have been restored and are used today for their original intent or have been renovated and converted into more usable buildings for today’s time. These structures include the New Haven Free Public Library (1911), the Taft Hotel (1911), the Second National Bank of New Haven (1912), New Haven Post Office and Federal District Court (1913), New Haven County County Courthouse (1914), and the Arnold Sprague Memorial Hall at Yale University (1917).

1911: New Haven Free Public Library

The New Haven Free Public Library, on the corner of Elm and Temple, was designed by architect Cass Gilbert. The colonial revival brick and marble building began construction in 1908 and was completed in 1911. The library was dedicated to the City of New Haven May 27, 1911.

1911: Taft Hotel

Located on College Street in New Haven sits the Taft Hotel, named after former President William Howard Taft who lived in the building for the eight years he taught at Yale Law School. During its prime, the hotel, located near the Shubert Theater, hosted many Broadway celebrities. In 1973, the hotel was closed and converted into apartments whereas it is now called the Taft Apartments. Since the renovation, the grand dining hall has been transformed into a restaurant space and has housed a variety of different popular eateries such as Hot Tomatoes. Over the past year, the restaurant has been undergoing a transformation and will reopen this month.

1912: Second National Bank of New Haven

In 1912, the Second National Bank (founded in 1855) moved to a new location on Church Street. The building was designed by Starrett & Van Vleck and was completed in 1912. The interesting thing about this building is our very own firm, Patriquin Architects now resides on the 8th floor of this building!

1913: New Haven Post Office and Federal District Court

The neoclassic New Haven Post Office and Federal District Court, designed by James Gamble Rogers, was built on the New Haven Green in 1913. The building stands next to the Second National Bank building.

1914: New Haven County Courthouse

Another neoclassic building, the New Haven County Courthouse was completed in 1914. The courthouse was designed by William Allen and Richard Williams and modeled after St. Georges Hall in Liverpool. The building is used as the Geographical Area #23 Courthouse and has been under renovation for the past few years.

1917: Arnold Sprague Memorial Hall

Sprague Memorial Hall, a Gregorian building, was completed in 1917 for Yale University’s School of Music. The building housed classrooms, practice rooms and an auditorium. The hall was first renovated in 1955 to house the school’s music library and later in the early 2000’s where the building was restored using the original molds plus adding updated audio, visual and performance enhancements to fit the needs of the modern-day musician.

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